A Minnesota Adventure

At this point, the babes and I are pretty used to J being gone for a week or more while we're at home. But last week we changed the tables up on him while the kiddos and I took off to Minnesota and he stayed home.

I thought that being some place "new and fun" and being busy would make things easier than when we're home and he's gone.

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

The kids and I had fun, of course. We were visiting my dad and step-mom. H and B got to hit up an aquarium, the zoo, Rainforest Cafe (where I conned them into singing Happy Birthday to H, which she thought was amazing), and the Mall of America where they rode rides until their hearts were content.

Of course, I had to listen to them tell me the rides weren't fast enough or high enough most of the time. But that's what happens when you're toddlers, kiddos! And there I was, feeling like the kiddie rides had gotten way more aggressive since my time.

H also had the joy of going to the American Girl store where Grandpa S bought her Bitty Twins for her birthday, which she promptly named Sofia and Diego (2 guesses where those names came from...). Momma bought her some outfits and a double stroller for her babies, but those aren't coming out until her birthday.

We spent one day with a friend, who H cannot stop talk about her baby and her dogs. The whole drive home my little chatterbox was telling me, "Wasn't O just so cute? He really liked me, Momma! Did you see him give me hugs?" And then she'd tell me how she just needed a great big dog like their St. Bernard's. Thanks...

When we spent the night with my older sister M, H was very delighted to eat her first fruit roll-up (extra points for M for being cognisant of H's allergy!). But even better than that, H and B had popsicles! And other than ones we've made, I don't *think* they've ever had popsicles before. Though they might have and I'm simply blocking that out. Regardless, H thought they were the best things ever.

At one point while at M's house I asked H if she needed to go potty, to which she replied, "No, I'm just farting," and gave us a little wink.

Great.

H developed some weird eye tick that I 100% believe came about from the ridiculous amount of TV watching she partook in. Since we've been home it hasn't made it's existence known, so I know it was something weird, and not permanent.

The kids were stellar in the car, which was fortunate for me because 12 hours in the car with miserable kids would have made for a miserable momma. The power of new movies, I guess.

But they missed their papa. The whole time. And I missed my husband. And things were "off" a bit because he wasn't there and we didn't have our typical schedule going on. But it was necessary as he was taking care of lead things and obviously there isn't anything we wouldn't do for B's (or H's) health. So much so that we're home for two weeks and get to turn around and the kids and I are off again so J can work on more stuff!

At least for the kids it is always an adventure.